France Grande debut for Zinédine Zidane at Stade Bollaert

Stade Bollaert ignited on Sunday evening as RC Lens opened its new season against PSG in the Trophée des Champions, while the stadium also welcomed Zinédine Zidane, the freshly appointed France manager, for his first public appearance ahead of his inaugural squad selection.

Inaugurated on 28 July by the FFF, Zidane succeeded Didier Deschamps and did not miss this initial meeting of the French season, scheduled a month before his first list, probably on Thursday 17 September.

Zidane's inaugural appearance

He arrived accompanied by his deputy David Bettoni, both seated in the presidential tribune of the arena. Le French Football Federation confirmed this week that former world‑cup winner Fabien Barthez, Zidane’s 1998 and 2000 champion teammate, has been appointed goalkeeper coach.

Match highlights and French prospects

Florian Thauvin opened the scoring for the Sang et Or in the 32nd minute after a wayward cross from Matthieu Udol. The French side featured four PSG internationals who played at the 2026 World Cup – Lucas Digne, Warren Zaïre‑Emery, Désiré Doué and Maghnes Akliouche, the latter positioned as a false nine by Luis Enrique. Lucas Hernandez and Ousmane Dembélé began the match on the bench.

African spine fuels Le RC Lens upset over PSG in Trophée des Champions

Robin Risser, the third‑choice goalkeeper for France at the last World Cup, was also present among the Lens supporters.

The Trophée des Champions traditionally pits the reigning Ligue 1 champion against the latest Coupe de France winner, providing a showcase for both clubs and the national team staff.

Atmosphere remained electric as the Stade Bollaert took fire, reflecting the excitement surrounding both the season opener and Zidane’s first appearance in French football.

Lens upset forces PSG to widen Ligue 1 title focus

Zidane now has a month to evaluate players before unveiling his first list, expected on Thursday 17 September, marking the start of his tenure with the Equipe de France.